New Year's traditions for Chicago families

Meg Cox, author of
The Book of New Family Traditions (Running Press, 2012), points
out that New Year's traditions cut both ways, allowing parents to
have fun while creating some meaningful traditions. "You can have a
really happy, jump-up-and-down-and-make-a-lot-of-noise time but you
can also, within that same holiday, have a time for quiet
reflection on how you've evolved in a year."

With that in mind, we asked some Chicago area families for their
ideas on creating rituals and traditions that spark memories and
enthusiasm.